Wedding Planning (Study Guide)

A professional wedding planner manages everything: from inception to execution, including managing the procedures and challenges faced from the initial meeting with the couple, to selecting purveyors, contract reviewing, themes and decor. 

Why do people hire Wedding Planners?
- Mitigate & Manage stress on the wedding day
- Access to resources, contact list, vendors
- Save time and energy
- Help stick to budget
- Avoid pitfalls
- Peacekeeping within family
- Support system for couple

What skills & characteristics do potential clients look for in a Wedding Planner?
- High-energy
- Organized
- Professional
- Creative
- On-time
- Problem-solver
- Strong leader
- Calm under pressure
- Empathetic
- Responsive
- Detail-oriented
- Decisive

Why is it important for you to identify the skills & characteristics of a wedding planner?
- Helps identify your Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats as a planner
- Be able to retain clients
- Build reputation, get referrals
- Helps you market yourself
- Decide if this is the right career for you

How can you improve your creativity?
- Visit art galleries and museums for inspiration
- Enrol in painting, drawing, fine art, art history classes
- Take pictures of things you find interesting
- Keep an idea book
- Research events in other industries (corporate, arts, festivals, etc)

How do you become a good listener?
- Make eye contact
- Have an open mind
- Don't cross your arms
- Remove distractions
- Don't interrupt
- Ask significant questions
- Do not be defensive
- Accept that you may not agree with the speaker
- Embrace being uncomfortable
- Pay attention to body language
- Summarize and reiterate info given
- Take notes

How can you become a good communicator?
- Establish a personal connection with the other person
- Be specific
- Give accurate information; be sure of the facts you give
- Speak clearly and plainly, be concise
- Listen
- Ask questions to ensure the other person understands what you're communicating

How can you become more resourceful?
- Ask an expert for help
- Connect with media, social media, bloggers, to have conversations
- Be organized
- Find multiple uses for items + supplies
- Do a lot of research, get references
- Experiment, trial and error can garner great results
- Start from the 'end' of a challenge and work backwards
- Be prepared for as many contingencies as possible
- Start first with what you already have and what is readily available

Traditional Ceremony Elements
- Inside of a church
- Bride's parents pay for the wedding
- Traditional, scripted wedding vows
- Religious officiant
- Bride's family seated on the left
- Mother of the Bride is last person to enter before the bride
- Bride wears white
- Father walks bride down the aisle
- Male + Female couple

Non-Traditional Ceremony Elements
- Ceremony at City hall, outdoors, secular venue
- Non-white / off-white wedding dress
- Bride and groom pay for their own wedding
- Personalized wedding vows
- Bride walks down aisle with both parents
- Guests sit on either side of venue
- Same-sex couple

Wedding Planner
A person hired to plan and organize a wedding, reception, and possibly the honeymoon in consultation with the couple who is getting married.

Clients or client's family pay for the wedding planner.

Bridal Consultant
Usually refers to a retail position, often for the wedding dress or registry.

Bridal consultant is paid by retailer/store.

Wedding Coordinator
Works for one venue, only handles weddings @ venue
Often found at hotels.
Only works on elements that are related to the venue.

Paid by venue.

Wedding Consultant
Same as wedding planner
Often their own boss, has own company.

Wedding Director
More common in the US.

Similar to a 'day-of' coordinator.
Often involved with only the ceremony

Maid of Honour - Responsibilities
- Helps plan & host bridal shower
- Plans bachelorette party
- Directs other bridesmaids on their duties
- Takes gown to cleaner after wedding
- Keeps record of gifts during wedding/bridal shower
- Attend fittings
- Make toast to couple
- Hold groom's ring during ceremony
- Emotional support for groom

Bridesmaids - Responsibilities
- Help MOH plan bridal shower
- Help MOH plan bachelorette party
- Help Bride + other bridesmaids get ready for wedding
- Make sure bridal party gets to venue(s) on time
- Sign as witness on marriage certificate
- Walk down aisle with groomsmen

Best Man - Responsibilities
- Plan bachelor party
- Stand next to groom at altar
- Holds payment/cheque for vendors who must be paid on day-of wedding
- Help groom choose and rent suits or tuxedos
- Holds bride's ring for groom
- Sign as witness on marriage license
- Speech during reception

Groomsmen/Usher - Responsibilities
- Arrive early to help decorate the ceremony venue
- Clean up after ceremony
- Set up unity candles, light tealights
- Head usher walks mother of the bride down the aisle
- Usher guests to seats before ceremony
- Drive couple to hotel or airport
- Walk bridesmaids down aisle

Mother of the Bride - Responsibilities
- Last person to be seated, indicates to music coordinator to start procession music
- Help bride choose wedding dress
- Provide Bride with family member contact info for invitations
- Escort bride down aisle
- Host bridal shower
- Stand in receiving line to greet guests
- Make speech at reception

Father of the Bride - Responsibilities
- Traditionally pays for the majority of the wedding/reception
- Escort bride down the aisle
- Greet guests in receiving line
- Make speech at reception
- Ensure everyone leaves venue safely
- Father-Daughter dance

Components of a Wedding Ceremony
1. Prelude (music during the time guests are seated)

2. Seating of the mothers (groom's mother is seater first and is escorted by head usher. Father of the groom follows behind. The MOB is the last person to be seated)

3. Processional:
- Officiant
- Groom
- Bestman
- Groomsmen
- Bridesmaids
- Maid of Honour
- Flower Girl
- Bride

4. Greeting - usually acknowledges everyoen in attendance and thanks them for being part of the ceremony.

5. Questions of intent
6. Readings & Music
7. Wedding Vows
8. Exchange of Rings
9. Signing of the marriage license
10. Presentation of the marriage couple, unity candle

11. Recessional. Order in which the Bride & Groom lead the way, followed by the bridal party paired up MOH & Bestman.)

If the church has 2 Main Aisles, what are some recommandations for the processional/recessional?
- For a small wedding: one aisles can be blocked off/closed off.

- Large wedding: Processional down one aisle, recessional down another aisle.

- Both aisles need to be decorated evenly

Processional Order
1. Officiant enters from side
2. Groom enters from side, followed by Best Man and Groomsmen. Take their place at the front, facing the altar.
3. Processional music begins
4. Bridesmaids.
Either paired (even numbers) or single (odd numbers).
Shorter ones precede the taller.
Timing: Keep 4 pews between each bridesmaid
5. Maid of Honour
6. Ring bearer. (sometimes the ringbearer walks down with flower girl)
Stands between Bestman and groomsmen at altar
7. Flower girl. Stands between MOH and BrMds @ altar.
8. Bride

Grouping at the Altar
Father of the bride is on the left of bride at altar until he gives the bride away.

Recessional Order
Bride & Groom
Ring Bearer & Flower Girl
Best Man & Maid of Honour
Groomsmen & Bridesmaids
Officiant
Bride's Parents
Groom's Parents
Usually groomsmen and/or ushers return to escort guests out.

Various Steps in Planning a Wedding
- Pre-qualify clients: date of wedding, budget, guest numbers
- Find out client's priorities
- Determine your role
- Put together proposal
- Fee structure
- Create budget
- Find venue
- Initial Vendors
- Outlines, checklists, timelines
- Sign contract, get deposit, retainer
- Execute event
- Follow up with thank you notes to clients & vendors
- Evaluation
- Request letters of reference

Examples of Questions for Clients During Initial Consultation
- Wedding Date
- Number of Guests
- Budget
- Bridal party size
- Preferred vendors
- Heritage/Culture/Ethnicity/Religion
- Colours/Theme
- How did you meet?
- Food preferences, allergies, restrictions
- Things the couple dislikes
- What planning have you already done
- How involved to you want to be in the planning process?
- Contact info
- Who will be paying for the wedding?

What should you have in your wedding planning binder?
- Client's contact info
- Budget
- Copy of contract
- Vendor contact info
- Vendor quotes
- Task list
- Permits
- Samples
- Payment schedule
- Floor plan
- Checklists
- Copy of receipts

Why is it important to have a payment schedule
- Keep track of deposits paid + balances owed
- Stay on budget
- Ensure that vendors + venues are truly reserved and booked
- Once payment has been processed, you've entered a contract

What is the ONE thing that will affect the percentage of money spent on each category of the wedding budget?
The couple's priorities.

How do you find out what services are essential to your clients and what are optional?
During your initial meeting, clarify:
- The client's budget
- Amount of time before wedding
- Client's experience

Why have themes?
- Put the couple's personal touch on the wedding
- Narrow down options, stay focus
- Help guests determine the dress code
- Makes event memorable
- Educational
- Entertaining

What are some things to consider when developing theme concepts?
- Customs
- Budget
- Guest Profile
- Resources: venue, time, manpower

Beside using decorations to enhance your theme - what can you use?
- Lighting
- Stationary
- Food
- Music
- Activities & Games
- Transportation
- Bonbonnieres

Before deciding on your decor - look at your venue. What are you looking for?
- Size
- Capacity
- Ceiling Heights
- Doorway
- Existing & Available Decor

Centrepieces: Two Important Factors to Consider?
- Eyeline
- Replacement costs

Centrepieces: If you are using flowers what should you consider?
- Seasonal
- Budget
- Table Size
- Lifespan of flower
- Meaning behind flowers
- Allergies & Fragrance
- Colour
- Florist substitution policy
- Special Care Requirements
- Ask if centrepieces have to look the same

Unique Bonbonniere Ideas
- Personalized lip balm
- Wine Stopper
- Bottle Opener
- Themed Matchboxes
- Personalized Pencils
- Heart-Shaped Sparklers
- Mini Wine Bottles
- Succulents
- Chocolate Bar with Custom Wrapper
- Caramel Popcorn
- Hot Sauce with Custom Labels